Spectators turned away during debate over shopping center

Forty-five people in the main Gastonia City Hall council room, pictured here Thursday night, were complemented by another 50 who watched the session on closed-circuit television upstairs.

By Michael Barrett

Published: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 11:22 PM.

Almost 100 sitting and standing spectators packed into two rooms at Gastonia City Hall before the fire marshal began turning away newcomers Thursday night.

Those who made it inside took part in a three-and-a-half-hour debate over the merits of a proposed new grocery-anchored shopping center in south Gastonia. Residents who stayed for the entire gauntlet saw the Gastonia Planning Commission essentially recommend rezoning land to allow the 120,000-square-foot development, which would likely feature Harris Teeter as its 53,000-square-foot signature tenant.

A motion to oppose the rezoning failed 5-3, meaning a majority of the commissioners favored it.

Next month, get ready for round 2.

The lack of a three-fourths majority vote put the matter in the hands of Gastonia City Council. It will take up the discussion during its June 18 meeting at the Gaston County Courthouse.

Thursday’s endurance test was proof of the passionate feelings of people who both favor and oppose the project. And it was indicative of how much planning commission members wrestled with the right recommendation.

“This is a tough one,” said Commissioner Mark Epstein. “We’ve got competing interests here. This is a clear one where some of these interests are in direct competition with one another.“

Almost 100 sitting and standing spectators packed into two rooms at Gastonia City Hall before the fire marshal began turning away newcomers Thursday night.

Those who made it inside took part in a three-and-a-half-hour debate over the merits of a proposed new grocery-anchored shopping center in south Gastonia. Residents who stayed for the entire gauntlet saw the Gastonia Planning Commission essentially recommend rezoning land to allow the 120,000-square-foot development, which would likely feature Harris Teeter as its 53,000-square-foot signature tenant.

A motion to oppose the rezoning failed 5-3, meaning a majority of the commissioners favored it.

Next month, get ready for round 2.

The lack of a three-fourths majority vote put the matter in the hands of Gastonia City Council. It will take up the discussion during its June 18 meeting at the Gaston County Courthouse.

Thursday’s endurance test was proof of the passionate feelings of people who both favor and oppose the project. And it was indicative of how much planning commission members wrestled with the right recommendation.

“This is a tough one,” said Commissioner Mark Epstein. “We’ve got competing interests here. This is a clear one where some of these interests are in direct competition with one another.“

Developers and their supporters argued the upscale shopping center will be a boon for the city – both financially and for its commercial reputation – and that road upgrades will accommodate traffic increases. Opponents countered that the commercial use goes against the city’s comprehensive plan for the site, which is surrounded by high-value residential subdivisions, and contended the developers’ road improvements would be insufficient.

The shopping center would be built on just over 20 acres, just east of the Y-intersection of Robinwood and Kendrick roads. The city would have to rezone a portion of that land from residential to commercial to make it possible. The main shopping center would be surrounded by a handful of outparcels, possibly to be filled by restaurants.

The residential land in question was zoned in 1991 to accommodate the construction of 23 patio homes, but the property owners never acted on that opportunity. MPV Real Estate of Charlotte now has the 20-plus acres under contract and says Harris Teeter has committed to becoming the anchor of the development.

In 2010, Gastonia City Council members approved a 2025 comprehensive plan that recommends maintaining the site as residential. But city planners stressed that’s not legally binding and the city is free to reconsider.

Packed house

Forty-five people quickly claimed the seats in the main meeting room, well before the 5:30 p.m. session began. Another 50 were allowed to squeeze into an upstairs room and watch the meeting on closed-circuit television, before Gastonia Fire Marshal Greg Floyd ordered a police officer not to let anyone else through the front door.

Ten minutes before the meeting began, about 15 frustrated people meandered outside City Hall. Jay Heavner, who lives in the Planter’s Ridge community off Robinwood Road, was among those in the group who hoped to get inside to speak against the development.

“We can’t get out of our subdivision now,” he said. “Cars are already flying through (on Robinwood Road). If they build this, cars might get out at midnight or something.”

Steve Vermillion of MPV Real Estate and others promoting the development outlined the concessions they were willing to make to appease area residents. That includes a six-foot brick wall and 80-foot woodland buffer around portions of the commercial site. The city typically only requires 25 feet of buffer.

A new traffic signal and new turn lanes should accommodate the increase in traffic, Vermillion said. MPV paid for a traffic engineering firm to conduct a traffic study in conjunction with requirements of the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Gastonia attorney Doug Arthurs, representing about 50 area residents, said the development is bad on numerous fronts. There’s no guarantee Harris Teeter would be the grocer to come, nor that the site would be developed in the way being promised, he said.

Arthurs also challenged the developers’ 144-page traffic study, which he contended used flawed data that downplays the increase in vehicles that would be seen on Robinwood and Kendrick roads.

“This is not the proper site for this development,” he said.

Residents have their say

Eighteen residents weighed in on the issue during a public hearing, and two-thirds of them opposed the development.

Roger Stowe, who has lived on Kendrick Road more than 40 years, said bordering such a commercial site would harm his property values. He recently listed his home and was told he would lose $100,000 on a sale if the development went through, he said.

John Garrett has lived on Robinwood Road for 20 years and said the additional traffic would be a nightmare, considering how bad it already is.

“Sometimes my wife and I can’t even carry on a conversation inside our own house,” he said.

Others who live in the area were supportive of the plan. Bob Clay, a commercial developer himself, lives on nearby Golfview Drive and said he would be willing to deal with extra traffic.

“I welcome the opportunity for there to be outparcels with high-end restaurants to serve the high-end community around it,” he said.

Chris Fletcher of nearby St. Mary’s Court said nearby residents might regret passing up such an upscale center, if a lower-quality one ends up being approved down the road.

“What happens if it doesn’t go in?” he said. “Are we ever going to get another high-end development trying to go in there?”

Among the planning commission members, Epstein didn’t agree with swaying from the city’s comprehensive plan for the site.

“The way we are right now, the city has stated it wants this to be residential,” he said.

Commissioner David Kayler said “growth is painful,” but suggested nearby residents are overreacting.
“I see these types of developments all over the place,” he said. “They don’t seem to be a problem in those neighborhoods.”

Commissioner Tripp Hord agreed that the benefits for the city will outweigh the negatives.

“My thoughts are we need to work with this developer to bring in positive growth,” he said.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.